RESOURCES 

Whether in the area of employment, regulatory compliance or professional licenses, my practice is dependent on government entities that are necessary for the work I do or that compliment the efforts of Machen Law on behalf of our clients.  Here are some handy resources: 

Employment law 

 Department of Fair Employment and Housing: An employee who believes that they have suffered discrimination in the workplace based on their belonging to a protected class must exhaust their administrative remedies with the Department of Fair Employment and Housing prior to bringing a civil lawsuit. Once that employee receives their Right to Sue letter from the department, they typically then have up to 1 year to file suit.   

 EDD: Unemployment Insurance. Employees who have lost their job often qualify for unemployment insurance. If unsure, apply anyway on risk of being told you are unqualified to receive benefits; or, to have your employer claim that you are not qualified for benefits. Even then, claimants have a right of appeal and may have their side of the story heard and ruled upon by an administrative law judge.  

Calif. Dept. of Labor’s Division of Labor Standards Enforcement. With questions related to wage and hour, e.g. whether an employee received full payout of all wages owed upon termination, including accrued vacation hours, it is often best to tap the Dept. of Labor's resources. Typically, DOL is a faster and less expensive option than filing a wage claim with Superior Court.  

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Professional licenses and hearings 

 California Dept. of Consumer Affairs regulates 3.6 million professionals spanning architects, accountants, dentists, physical therapists, veterinarians, nurses.

Office of Administrative Hearings is a neutral government body tasked with hearing appeals from certain administrative decisions related to licensing.  

Board of Vocational Nursing & Psychiatric Technicians is one of many state boards that makes decisions on professional licenses

Regulatory Business compliance 

 California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control issues various types of licenses that allow stores and restaurants to serve alcohol. Transferring these licenses can be a lengthy process that often triggers recommended restrictions from the San Francisco Police Department's own alcohol liaison and may sometimes run afoul of San Francisco's own policies to restrict these licenses or to reduce nuisance that may accompany - or is assumed to accompany - alcohol use.  

State Board of Equalization is one of many government agencies with which businesses are required to have an account and to which businesses must pay fees or taxes.  

San Francisco City and County Department of Public Health regulates most things that small businesses sell, such as tobacco products, alcohol and food.  Even packaged food such as skittles or potato chips fall under their jurisdiction. San Francisco's has its own special regulatory scheme that may conflict with or differ from the State of California's.